Kingdom Hearts: Path of Two Sunsby Ze1a7inChaptersPrologue: An Ambushed AmbushChapter 1: Hopeful DuskChapter 2: Dive to the VoidPrologue: An Ambushed AmbushAuthor's Note Hello all! With how many Anon-a-miss fics I have read, and how big of a fan I am of the genre in general, I knew it would only be a matter of time before I threw my hat into the ring. I just didn't know what type of story I was going to write. Then, somewhere on this world wide web, someone pointed out a list of series that Anon-a-miss fics hadn't had crossovers with. Turns out that Kingdom Hearts was on that list. As a self-proclaimed fanboy of that series, I thought to myself 'Why not combine the two?' That eventually lead to this. As pointed out in the long description, there will be no traveling by Sunset or anyone at CHS to other worlds, there will be Boss fights, and I aim to get the Anon-a-miss portion of this story done with in a timely manner. 'thoughts' "speech" (most of the time) Enjoy! or don't, your preference. Prologue: An Ambushed Ambush Kingdom Hearts: Path of Two Suns Prologue An Ambushed Ambush The moon shone down upon the city of Canterlot, providing adequate illumination for any that might be walking the streets that Friday night, including a young woman who seemed to be at the same time in a hurry and trying to take as long as possible to reach her destination. Sunset Shimmer, former student of Princess Celestia and ex-bully of CHS, was conflicted as she walked the empty streets. Earlier that day, she had received a text from her frie- former friend Rainbow Dash, asking Sunset to meet with the Rainbooms at the school’s gym that night to talk. The object of that talk being the most recent disaster to find its way to CHS, Anon-a-Miss. Anon-a-miss was a MyStable account that appeared at the beginning of the week, and had been causing nothing but trouble since. Its sole purpose seemed to be to spread the dirty, embarrassing, and harmful secrets of the students, starting with Applejack’s old nickname “Piggly Wiggly” and pictures of Rarity’s closet of failed outfit ideas. To make matters worse, the account image was of her silhouette against a background of her hair colors, so that made her an easy blame. It didn’t help that Applejack’s nickname was revealed to her the night before Anon-a-Miss’ first post, or that the pictures were the same ones that Sunset took on her phone. The result of those two posts left her disowned by the Rainbooms, sobbing on her knees in one of CHS’ halls. They hadn’t let Sunset explain her side, but if the text she had received earlier was true, that might have changed. ‘Still, I’m not getting my hopes up too much. I overheard some mutterings from the other students when I was leaving today. Something about “making Anon-a-Miss pay”. I could be walking into a trap, and Rainbow’s text was the bait. Won’t know till I get there, I suppose.’ Sunset was so caught up in her thoughts while checking her surroundings, that she failed to notice two solid, yellow orbs staring at her from the shadows of an alley. As CHS came into sight, Sunset slowed her pace, keeping a wary eye out for any signs of an ambush. Seeing none, she walked up to the horse statue that contained the portal to Sunset’s home world, Equestria. Upon reaching the base where the portal should have been, she placed her hand against it, hoping that this time would be different than the multiple other times she tried this past week. Sadly, her hand met smooth stone, devoid of the magical ripple that signified the portal being open. Sunset’s brow furrowed in worry, as the portal had now been closed for almost four days. Sunset realised it had closed on Tuesday, as when she was reaching for her journal to read Princess Twilight’s response to Sunset’s explanation of Anon-a-miss, the magical book had stopped vibrating and glowing, and when Sunset opened it, all of the pages had been blank. In concern, Sunset had hurried to the portal, wanting to make sure it was open. It was not. ‘I hope Princess Twilight figures out what has happened to the portal, or at least told Princess Celestia about it suddenly closing.’ With that thought, Sunset turned around and steeled her nerves before walking into the closed high school. As the door to the building closed behind Sunset, the same pair of yellow orbs stared after her from the statue’s shadow, only it was now accompanied by ten slightly smaller pairs. ‘Oh, buck my life! Of course it was a trap. Why did I ever think it wasn’t!’ “I guess just letting me walk out of here without violence is out of the question?” Sunset nervously asked to the group of CHS students that had ambushed her soon after she entered the gym. “Sorry, Anon-a-Miss, but someone needs to teach you to stop spilling those secrets, and we volunteered for the job!” This comment only increased the frustration Sunset was feeling, as it came from the leader of the 15+ students that were present, a rough and violent girl named Gilda. In addition to being one of those few students at CHS who think with their fists before their heads, she was also an old friend of Rainbow’s. She also seemed to have never forgiven Sunset for what she had done before the Fall Formal. ‘I swear to Faust, Rainbow, if I get out of this, I’m going to send you to the hospital!’ Sunset thought angrily to herself. Even though the instructors of the martial arts classes she had attended in her first years in this world said that the techniques should only be used in self-defense, she was seriously considering breaking that rule. Unfortunately, Sunset didn’t get any more time to think, as Gilda had just commanded everyone to get her. Sunset adopted a defensive stance as the students charged towards her. The two sides never met, as from out of one of the shadows between them a humanoid shape emerged. Its color was an inky-black, and it stood roughly the same height as Sunset, with lean muscles along its slender arms and legs. Its feet were reminiscent of pointed boots, and lacked toes, while its large hands each ended in five clawed fingers. Two antennae sprouted from the top of its head, going back a short bit before turning downwards, trailing down its back in a crooked pattern. Several veins of blue could be faintly seen along its upper legs and shoulders, and also above its eyes. Two solid, pupiless orbs of yellow were positioned where its eyes would be, and as those orbs swept across the stunned students, they couldn’t help but feel scared. Its gaze eventually landed on Sunset, upon which it cocked its head to the side, before taking slow, ominous steps towards the young unicorn turned human. ‘What in Tartarus is THAT?! I’ve never seen anything like it in this world, or even in Equestria for that matter! And why is it so focused on me? Can it sense that I am not really a human? WHY IS EVERYTHING OUT TO GET ME TODAY?!’ As Sunset backed away from the creature, she noticed that ten other, smaller shapes where appearing where the first one did. They were smaller, and looked almost like underdeveloped versions of the one stalking towards her, and they were apparently more interested in the other students. Unfortunately, it seemed that Sunset’s would-have-been attackers were too focused on her to notice the danger they were in. ‘Buck my life.’ Sunset thought before yelling to Gilda and co. “RUN!!” And to their credit, not one of them was trampled as the group stampeded out of the gym. Unfortunately, the groups of Shadows, as Sunset couldn’t think of anything better to call them, proceeded to give chase to the fleeing students. Sunset made to follow, but the Neoshadow melted into shadows on the ground and emerged ahead of her. ‘Of course you wouldn't make it easy.’ Sunset thought as she rolled to avoid the Neoshadow’s claws, and coming out of the roll in a sprint for the gym doors. She managed to get through them and begin running down the hallway towards the front of the school, keeping an eye out and ears open for the sounds of pursuit. She then noticed a supply closet that was open slightly, and she quickly ran into it, making sure to leave the door as open as she saw it. “Sunset, what are you doing in here?” asked a voice that sounded familiar to the red-head. Turning around, she saw Snips and Snails had also chosen to hide in the closet. The boys’ eyes were wide with fear, but Sunset could admit they had good reason to be. “I saw the door to the closet was open, your work I presume? Doesn’t matter, just keep quiet or that thing may hear us.” Sunset replied, she then proceeded to take stock of what was in the closet, her eyes finally coming to rest on a familiar yellow and black sledgehammer. She quickly grabbed it, then turned back to Snips and Snails. “You two, stay here, don’t make any noise, and wait until five minutes after I leave to come out, got it?” The two boys nodded their head, and Sunset turned back to the door. She opened it enough that she could peer out into the hall, and after checking that the coast was clear, left the closet, making sure to close the door almost all the way behind her. She then proceeded to make her way to the front entrance of the school, still keeping a wary eye out while rushing as fast as she could, eventually reaching the exit. Upon reaching the doors, Sunset looked outside towards the statue, only to gasp in horror and burst into the courtyard. “NO!” Sunset screamed as she rushed outside. She felt a spark ignite inside her, and a pull in her gut as she tapped into her magic, instinctively raising a semi-circular wall of fire between the fleeing students and the Shadows chasing them, barely preventing the lead Shadow from swiping its claws across the back of the slowest student, which happened to be Gilda after she had helped a student that had fell. Most of the students kept running, but Gilda turned around in surprise upon feeling the heat from the flames. She could only stare in a mix of shock and awe as she saw Sunset staring down the Shadows with what Gilda could only describe as fury. ‘Buck me, buck me, BUCK ME! Why am I playing the hero?! I mean I used magic, so that’s good, but now I have ALL THEIR ATTENTION! THAT’S BAD!’ Sunset thought to herself in absolute terror. It was taking all her willpower not to collapse to her knees, and what little she had was running out fast. Her silent panic was cut short as one of the Shadows lunged for her. Sunset swung the sledgehammer, subconsciously reinforcing it with magic to make the hit stronger and reduce the impact on the weapon. The head of the hammer connected with the Shadow, knocking it to the side, dazed, but not killed. Another of the Shadows swiped at her, and Sunset jumped back. Unfortunately for her, the Shadow managed to slice off the head of the sledgehammer, leaving Sunset with little more than a stick to defend herself. ‘These things aren’t giving me any time to think of a plan!’ A thought that was proven right as not a second later yet another Shadow lunged for her, forcing Sunset to raise the sledgehammer handle in what she knew was a futile attempt to block the creature’s claws. Sunset closed her eyes, waiting for the feeling of the claws scratching her. Except she didn’t feel anything, no scratches, no pain. ‘Wait, why didn’t it hit me? I shouldn’t have been able to stop its attack with just a wooden handle. So… what’s going on?’ Deciding that she wouldn’t get answers with her eyes closed, Sunset opened them to see what had happened. After doing so, she could only stare dumbly at what she was now holding. For gripped in her right hand, instead of the handle, was something she could only describe as a giant, two-toned key. Chapter 1: Hopeful DuskKingdom Hearts: Path of Two Suns Chapter 1 Hopeful Dusk ‘Ok, I know I used magic to reinforce the sledgehammer for that strike, but I don’t remember casting a transmutation spell!’ Was the first of many thoughts to rush through Sunset’s head as she inspected the simple, yet elegant weapon she now held in her right hand. The hand-grip was a solid gold in color, with a deep red hand-guard not dissimilar in design to a rapier’s. The body of the blade was comprised of two blade-like lengths of metal, with a gap between them. The top length was gold in color, while the bottom length was the same deep red, and both were sharp along the edge facing in the same direction as the hand-guard. What was, in Sunset’s opinion, the most striking part of the weapon was its head, which was in the shape of a two-toned sun reminiscent of her Cutie Mark, gold on one half and red on the other, with four rays coming out of it, two red & two gold. A small piece of gold metal extended from the base of the sun and connected to the red blade, most likely to provide support for the head. A red and gold keychain extended from the base of the handle, and hanging off the end was a miniature version of Sunset’s Cutie Mark. ‘What is this thing?! It looks like a cross between a sword and a giant key! And why did it just appear out of nowhere?! Did I summon it?’ Sunset was cut off from silently asking anymore questions when the weapon gave off a slight glow, followed by Sunset clutching her head with her free hand. As she did, she saw visions of a silhouette holding the exact same sword with one hand, and fighting an invisible foe. The movements they made were almost like a dance, if Sunset had to describe it. She also saw the silhouette’s free hand surrounded in an aura of what could only be magic, and they were casting spell after spell from their hand. Suddenly the glow died, and the silhouette gripped the sword with both hands, before pulling the weapon in two. Instead of the sword being destroyed, Sunset saw two new swords, one in each of the figure’s hands. The figure then proceeded to fight an invisible foe again, once more utilizing a fighting style akin to a dance. Just as suddenly as the visions began, they vanished, leaving Sunset lightly panting from the shock. ‘W-what were those visions? Did the Keyblade show me them? Wait… Keyblade? How do I know that term? It sounds fitting for the weapon though, and it’s not like I have any better options. But why did it show me those visions? Was it trying to teach me how to fight? Not sure, but it also showed the figure using magic, and that is at least something I know how to do.’ Sunset remembered the figure’s free hand being covered in a magical aura, and suddenly she knew exactly how to call that same aura. Sunset concentrated for a moment, searching inside of herself for the spark of magic she felt earlier, and after finding it, she focused on creating the aura around her left hand. Her effort was rewarded when, after a few moments, her hand became encased in a white light. ‘Ok, so the vision did more than just show me how to fight, it gave me the knowledge, and possibly skill, to do so!’ Sunset broke out into a smile, her earlier fear forgotten as she faced down the Shadows, which had been keeping a wary distance from her after the Keyblade appeared. “You want to fight? Then let’s fight!” Sunset shouted at the creatures with a newfound confidence, before adopting a defensive stance with her keyblade. She didn’t have to wait long for one of them to attack, as the one she hit with the sledgehammer earlier lunged towards her. Instead of panicking like before, this time Sunset rolled to the side before unleashing a beam of fire from her left hand at the Shadow, and with the Shadow being in mid-lunge, the beam struck true, incinerating the Shadow. Sunset didn’t have time to feel good about herself, as her roll had put her next to one of the other Shadows. Thinking fast, Sunset spun on her heel, slashing through the creature with the Keyblade and dispersing its darkness. ‘Huh. Guess these guys aren’t that strong. Still, I shouldn’t let my guard down!’ As soon as Sunset was finished thinking this, she realized that two more of the Heartless had jumped at her at the same time. Not having enough time to dodge, Sunset went with her instincts, calling upon a shield spell. The light around her hand grew brighter, before a dome shield of transparent golden energy appeared before her, causing the Heartless to smack into it and fall to the ground stunned, where they just stood in place with their head lolling from side to side, complete with little stars circling around their head. Sunset, not wanting to miss an opportunity, quickly willed her shield into two magic swords, which she used to cut the two Heartless multiple times until they dispersed. Immediately after dismissing the swords however, Sunset felt a bit of fatigue, and also saw that the light around her hand had vanished. She noticed the fatigue wasn’t enough to lessen her fighting skill, but more of the type she remembered occurring from magic exhaustion when she was a filly. ‘Guess I only have a limited amount of magic I can use before exhausting it. Going to have to keep that in mind. Guess now’s as good a time as any to try that two-sword thing from the vision!’ Sunset thought to herself, before placing her left hand on the grip like the silhouette had done. She then proceeded to pull her Keyblade apart, and was a little surprised at how both blades were just as big as the original, somehow. The one in her right hand was still gold, but now those parts that had been red were replaced by an alabaster white, including in her Cutie Mark on the keychain. Sunset could sense a protective aura coming from the blade, almost as if it wished to protect others. Looking closer, Sunset was able to tell that the white parts seemed to glow with a soft, soothing light. Looking over to the keyblade in her left hand, Sunset saw that this one was red, with the gold replaced by a deep black. Sunset could also sense an aura from this Keyblade, only instead of protective, this one felt destructive, as if it wished to inflict pain upon others. Slightly unnerved by this, she was even more unnerved when she noticed the black sections seemed to be sucking the light out of the air near them. ‘Ok, that worked. And given how I’ve been fighting with just one like I had months of training, I think it’s safe to assume those visions gave me the ability to fight with both of these just as well.’ Sunset then returned her attention to the six remaining enemies. ‘Well, guess I can end this quick.’ Any further musings were cut short when all six Shadows rushed her at the same time. Sunset just took a stance with both blades, and met them head on. Gilda could only watch in stunned silence as she saw Sunset fight the creatures with some weird key-shaped sword and magic. Actual magic! Gilda had heard the rumors about Sunset being from a world of magical pastel ponies, but she had just dismissed because it sounded lame. Now? She wasn’t so sure, and not just about the pony rumor. That was just background thoughts, to a single question that just kept asking itself over and over in her head. ‘Why did she save us? Why is she putting her life on the line to save us? To save ME?! Shimmer wouldn’t have stuck her neck out for anyone before the Fall Formal, but she was just acting all nice afterwards, wasn’t she? She never changed, Anon-a-Miss is proof of that!’ While these thoughts were going through Gilda’s head, she had just seen Sunset split her sword into two, and was proceeding to carve up the remaining six creatures in what could only be described as a dance of claws and blades. Eventually, Gilda’s mind turned to a single question that she hadn’t given any thought to before that night. ‘What if Shimmer isn’t Anon-a-miss?’ Gilda felt anger and hate well up inside her. Did she trust Shimmer? Not as far as she could throw her. Did she like Shimmer? Hell no! But if Shimmer wasn’t Anon-a-miss, then whoever was framing her was playing CHS for fools, and succeeding. If there was one thing Gilda hated more than Shimmer, it was being played for a fool. NO ONE played Gilda for a fool. That hate soon morphed into horror as she spotted a figure rise up behind Sunset, claws poised to strike. The words left Gilda’s mouth before she had even realized she was speaking. “Shimmer, behind you!” Sunset panted heavily after dispatching the last of the Shadows, the adrenalin wearing off and physical exhaustion mixing with magical exhaustion. Her muscles felt as if she had used them to compete in a triathlon, not used to the movements she had made while fighting. Sunset also felt that the knowledge and skill she had gained from the visions had left her, except for the magic. She had noticed that after splitting the first Keyblade into two keyblades, her strikes had seemed half as powerful. ‘Makes sense, in a way. I literally pulled it in half to summon them, so they would only be half as stro-’ “Shimmer, behind you!” Sunset didn’t even think about how it was Gilda’s voice shouting that as she spun around, swinging her left keyblade as she turned. In the brief moments before losing consciousness, Sunset registered two things. The first was the sight of her weapon slicing into the Neoshadow, and getting stuck halfway. The second was the Heartless’ claws slashing down her back. And then… darkness. Author's Note Hello! Cliffhangers are evil! In case it wasn't clear, Sunset was able to fight against the Heartless with such ease because her Keyblade, Hopeful Dusk (the Keyblade in the cover art), gave her not just the knowledge of how to fight, but also the skill to do so as well. However, this was a one-time thing, and once the battle ended, so too did Sunset's little boost. Also, the two Keyblades that Hopeful Dusk split into actually have names! The gold and white colored one is called Nobody's Sun, while the red and black one is called Setting Dark. Image: New image drawn by Graglithan the Greater! Chapter 2: Dive to the VoidKingdom Hearts: Path of Two Suns Chapter 2 Dive to the Void Darkness. That was all Sunset Shimmer felt as she blearily opened her eyes. ‘Where am I? Why do I feel like I’m sinking? Am I…dead? Last thing I remember is-’ Sunset’s eyes shot open as memories of the past half hour flooded into her mind. ‘The text! The ambush! Are the other students ok?! What were those creatures, and that weapon I fought them with?!’ Sunset then looked around, only to see she was floating in a void of black nothing. No, not floating, Sunset could feel a slight downward tug pulling on her, but soon that tug disappeared as her feet touched something solid, yet invisible. “Where am I? Why am I here, and why does this place feel familiar, yet empty?” “The answer to the first and last questions are the same, the second is not as simple.” Sunset didn’t so much hear the words as she felt them in her head. Suddenly, a soft flash of light appeared in the air before Sunset, and when it faded, Sunset saw the same gold and red key from her memories of the fight. “Greetings, my wielder. I feel you have many questions, so ask them before I answer your original three, as the answers to those will no doubt shake you.” “Wielder… You’re the weapon I summoned when I was fighting those things! What, exactly, are you, and how are you talking with me?” “I am known as Hopeful Dusk, and I am a Keyblade. A magical weapon capable of opening and closing any lock, door, or chest. In addition, a Keyblade is the only weapon capable of releasing the hearts stolen by the Heartless. Those ‘things’ you fought were a variety of Heartless, and the weakest at that.” For some reason, when Sunset heard “hearts stolen”, she felt something nagging at the back of her mind, as if those two words were significant to her situation. “As for how I am talking with you, I am unique among Keyblades, as your natural magical ability mixed with my own, and improved the sort-of sentience already present in all Keyblades. This improved sentience allowed me to guide your hand in battle. Unfortunately, that was a one-time thing.” Sunset’s face became contemplative. “Natural magical ability…! You mean my Equestrian Magic? So that’s why the magic I used felt similar to that of back home. But...how did I summon you in the first place? And why do you look like you do?” “I do not know how you summoned me, as it is rare for an individual to awaken their potential to wield a Keyblade without the proper ceremony or certain training. As for my appearance, when a Keyblade wielder first summons their Keyblade, that first Keyblade takes on an appearance representative of the wielder’s heart. More on that later, as it is related to your original questions.” “That’s as good an explanation as any, I guess. So, what are the Heartless? How do they steal hearts, anyways? Isn’t that vital to someone being alive?” “I do not mean that they steal an individual’s physical heart. While the individual whose heart has been stolen does indeed cease to be, at least in their current form, they are not exactly dead. The heart I refer to is closer in concept to one’s soul. The Heartless are creatures of darkness, born from the negative emotions that exist in every heart. Their main purpose is to seek out hearts full of light, and steal them, in the process allowing the heart to be consumed by darkness, thus creating a new Heartless. A Heartless can also be formed by an individual willingly surrendering to the darkness in their heart, and in doing so they transform into a Heartless.” There it was again. That nagging feeling that Sunset was missing something, which strangely only occurred when Hopeful Dusk mentioned hearts, and them being stolen or consumed by darkness. Sunset suddenly felt very, very, cold. “...The last thing I remember is Gilda yelling that something was behind me, and me spinning around while swinging a Keyblade. I also remember the feeling of pain when that last Heartless clawed my back. That Heartless…it stole my heart, didn’t it?” Hopeful Dusk seemed to lose some of its shine, Sunset would have attributed it to someone being sad. “Yes. Unfortunately, after your battle, your heart was indeed stolen, along with a part of me. I believe it is time I answered your original questions. The area we are currently in, is a dream-like place known as the Dive to the Heart, and is usually filled with Stations representative of an individual's heart. That is why this place feels familiar, yet empty. This is a space closely tied to your heart. But this is a good thing.” “Good thing?! How can my heart being stolen be in any way a good thing?!” Sunset absently noted that despite her words, she didn’t feel the anger she thought she should have. “The fact this place yet remains is a good thing, as it means that a part of your heart yet remains. However, that is normally impossible. You appear to be a special case.” “...Oh. Huh.” Sunset’s face once again became contemplative. “How does this relate to your appearance, though? You said your appearance was related to my original three questions, but how?” “Yes, I did say that my appearance is a reflection of your heart. And your heart, Sunset Shimmer, has been in a balance of the light and dark within it for some time. My appearance reflects that balance, as does the appearance of my halves.” At those words, Hopeful Dusk became enveloped in a soft light once more, before the one light separated into two. When those lights faded, the two Keyblades that Sunset had dual wielded were floating before her. The one on Sunset’s left was gold and white, while the one on her right was crimson and black. “The one on your left is called Nobody’s Sun, and is representative of the light in your heart. It’s opposite and equal is Setting Dark, representative of the darkness in your heart. Now, however, the darkness in your heart has been separated from you along with your heart,” at this, Setting Dark started to fade away, “Leaving only the light that once balanced it. And while your heart may no longer remain, the light is still connected to it. Hence why this place still remains.” Sunset should have been shocked, or confused, or any other emotion after this info dump, but for some reason she did not know, she felt none of them. Chalking it up to emotional drain after the past week, Sunset asked the last question on her mind. “So, what now?” “Now, you return to the waking world. There are people there who are concerned for you. Farewell, my wielder.” Suddenly, Sunset felt herself floating upwards. As she floated, she became surrounded in a light that eventually grew blinding, forcing her to shut her eyes. Sunset groggily opened her eyes, blinking until her vision was clear, and she found herself looking up at the ceiling of her apartment. ‘Ugh, my head. Wait...how did I get to my apartment?’ Upon realizing this, Sunset shot up from her bed, looking around the room quickly. She heard the door to her bedroom open, and upon looking towards it, she saw Gilda standing there. “So, you finally woke up, huh?” Gilda then stuck her head back outside the room, saying to someone else “She’s awake!” “Gilda? What are you doing in my apartment? How did we get to my apartment? I don’t remember telling you my address. Like, ever.” Gilda chuckled lightly at that, before saying to Sunset “Snips and Snails told me. Then I drove your unconscious body here with the help of a few… Well, it would just be easier for you to talk with them yourself.” At this, Gilda stepped aside, and three new individuals that Sunset had never seen before entered her bedroom, stopping before her bed. The first was obviously the youngest, around 16 years old. He had spiky, brown hair, and blue eyes. His outfit consisted of a black V-neck shirt with white lining, over which he wore a black jacket with grey pockets and a grey stripe on each sleeve. The hood, sleeves, and jacket itself had a red lining, and six buttons were visible on the front. He had gauntlet-like gloves on his hands, in a similar color scheme to his jacket, with grey circles on the backs, yellow straps around the wrists, and exposed palms. He was wearing black shorts that came down a few inches below his knees, with several grey pockets on the sides. His black and yellow sneakers, while not comically large, were definitely a couple sizes too big for him, from what Sunset could see. Sunset also noticed he wore a silver necklace with a crown on it. The second was, from Sunset’s estimate, about a year older than the first, with silver-ish hair, in a shade that could be mistaken for a shade of blue, that reached down to just above his neck in the back, and eyes that were blue-green. His clothes consisted of a sleeveless, black tank-top with a zipper on the front, over which was a white and yellow vest with a blue stripe separating the two colors. He also wore baggy blue jeans with a black belt, and his shoes were a pair of yellow-laced, white sneakers with gray lining and soles, and three black stripes on the sides. The last was an adult, with shoulder-length, bright red hair styled into slick-backed spikes like something out of an anime, and a widow’s peak at the front, and bright emerald eyes. His outfit consisted of a sleeveless orange jacket, the pockets of which are a darker orange than the rest, with a sleeveless white undershirt, tan baggy pants, and red and white sneakers with black socks. The most notable part of his appearance was the yellow and brown keffiyeh around his neck, which changed patterns from striped to checkered at his neck. The bottom of the keffiyeh was slightly frayed. After Sunset took in their appearances, the one with brown hair spoke up “Hey, you’re Sunset Shimmer, right?” “I am. Who are you three, and how did you get into my apartment? I have the only key.” Sunset responded warily. To her surprise, he grinned widely while putting his hands behind his head in a relaxed pose. “My name is Sora.” “Riku.” Said the blue haired one with a nod of his head. “My name is Lea, but you can call me Axel. Got it memorized?” said anime hair while holding the index finger of his right hand to the side of his head. “I guess so?” Sunset responded, a bit confused at his reason for asking that particular question. ‘Why do I get the feeling that he uses that phrase a lot?’ “Good.” Axel continued, “As for why we are here…” Suddenly the faces of all three grew more serious, “You wouldn’t happen to know a ‘Princess Celestia’, would you?” Author's Note Hello, everyone! Thank you to everyone who Favorited, Tracked, Added to a shelf, Commented on, etc this story! The talk between Sunset and Hopeful Dusk contains a mix of my personal headcanon with actual Kingdom Hearts canon, so if any clarification is needed on that front, feel free to ask! Also, we are introduced to Sunset's co-heroes for this adventure! Sora, Riku, and Axel/Lea (he's my favorite)! Their outfits may seem familiar to the Kingdom Hearts fans, but if they don't, Sora's is based off his Kingdom Hearts 3 outfit, RIku's is based off his Kingdom Heart 2 look, and Axel is in near identical clothes to Lea's from Birth By Sleep, obviously sized for an adult. As for why I picked those three in particular? I have my reasons, and most of those reasons will be made clear in this arc. Anyways, next chapter will reveal exactly how they arrived at Sunset's apartment, as well as both how and why they know of Princess Celestia. Edit: Riku's hair has been edited to better match it's current look in the games.
Prologue: An Ambushed AmbushAuthor's Note Hello all! With how many Anon-a-miss fics I have read, and how big of a fan I am of the genre in general, I knew it would only be a matter of time before I threw my hat into the ring. I just didn't know what type of story I was going to write. Then, somewhere on this world wide web, someone pointed out a list of series that Anon-a-miss fics hadn't had crossovers with. Turns out that Kingdom Hearts was on that list. As a self-proclaimed fanboy of that series, I thought to myself 'Why not combine the two?' That eventually lead to this. As pointed out in the long description, there will be no traveling by Sunset or anyone at CHS to other worlds, there will be Boss fights, and I aim to get the Anon-a-miss portion of this story done with in a timely manner. 'thoughts' "speech" (most of the time) Enjoy! or don't, your preference. Prologue: An Ambushed Ambush Kingdom Hearts: Path of Two Suns Prologue An Ambushed Ambush The moon shone down upon the city of Canterlot, providing adequate illumination for any that might be walking the streets that Friday night, including a young woman who seemed to be at the same time in a hurry and trying to take as long as possible to reach her destination. Sunset Shimmer, former student of Princess Celestia and ex-bully of CHS, was conflicted as she walked the empty streets. Earlier that day, she had received a text from her frie- former friend Rainbow Dash, asking Sunset to meet with the Rainbooms at the school’s gym that night to talk. The object of that talk being the most recent disaster to find its way to CHS, Anon-a-Miss. Anon-a-miss was a MyStable account that appeared at the beginning of the week, and had been causing nothing but trouble since. Its sole purpose seemed to be to spread the dirty, embarrassing, and harmful secrets of the students, starting with Applejack’s old nickname “Piggly Wiggly” and pictures of Rarity’s closet of failed outfit ideas. To make matters worse, the account image was of her silhouette against a background of her hair colors, so that made her an easy blame. It didn’t help that Applejack’s nickname was revealed to her the night before Anon-a-Miss’ first post, or that the pictures were the same ones that Sunset took on her phone. The result of those two posts left her disowned by the Rainbooms, sobbing on her knees in one of CHS’ halls. They hadn’t let Sunset explain her side, but if the text she had received earlier was true, that might have changed. ‘Still, I’m not getting my hopes up too much. I overheard some mutterings from the other students when I was leaving today. Something about “making Anon-a-Miss pay”. I could be walking into a trap, and Rainbow’s text was the bait. Won’t know till I get there, I suppose.’ Sunset was so caught up in her thoughts while checking her surroundings, that she failed to notice two solid, yellow orbs staring at her from the shadows of an alley. As CHS came into sight, Sunset slowed her pace, keeping a wary eye out for any signs of an ambush. Seeing none, she walked up to the horse statue that contained the portal to Sunset’s home world, Equestria. Upon reaching the base where the portal should have been, she placed her hand against it, hoping that this time would be different than the multiple other times she tried this past week. Sadly, her hand met smooth stone, devoid of the magical ripple that signified the portal being open. Sunset’s brow furrowed in worry, as the portal had now been closed for almost four days. Sunset realised it had closed on Tuesday, as when she was reaching for her journal to read Princess Twilight’s response to Sunset’s explanation of Anon-a-miss, the magical book had stopped vibrating and glowing, and when Sunset opened it, all of the pages had been blank. In concern, Sunset had hurried to the portal, wanting to make sure it was open. It was not. ‘I hope Princess Twilight figures out what has happened to the portal, or at least told Princess Celestia about it suddenly closing.’ With that thought, Sunset turned around and steeled her nerves before walking into the closed high school. As the door to the building closed behind Sunset, the same pair of yellow orbs stared after her from the statue’s shadow, only it was now accompanied by ten slightly smaller pairs. ‘Oh, buck my life! Of course it was a trap. Why did I ever think it wasn’t!’ “I guess just letting me walk out of here without violence is out of the question?” Sunset nervously asked to the group of CHS students that had ambushed her soon after she entered the gym. “Sorry, Anon-a-Miss, but someone needs to teach you to stop spilling those secrets, and we volunteered for the job!” This comment only increased the frustration Sunset was feeling, as it came from the leader of the 15+ students that were present, a rough and violent girl named Gilda. In addition to being one of those few students at CHS who think with their fists before their heads, she was also an old friend of Rainbow’s. She also seemed to have never forgiven Sunset for what she had done before the Fall Formal. ‘I swear to Faust, Rainbow, if I get out of this, I’m going to send you to the hospital!’ Sunset thought angrily to herself. Even though the instructors of the martial arts classes she had attended in her first years in this world said that the techniques should only be used in self-defense, she was seriously considering breaking that rule. Unfortunately, Sunset didn’t get any more time to think, as Gilda had just commanded everyone to get her. Sunset adopted a defensive stance as the students charged towards her. The two sides never met, as from out of one of the shadows between them a humanoid shape emerged. Its color was an inky-black, and it stood roughly the same height as Sunset, with lean muscles along its slender arms and legs. Its feet were reminiscent of pointed boots, and lacked toes, while its large hands each ended in five clawed fingers. Two antennae sprouted from the top of its head, going back a short bit before turning downwards, trailing down its back in a crooked pattern. Several veins of blue could be faintly seen along its upper legs and shoulders, and also above its eyes. Two solid, pupiless orbs of yellow were positioned where its eyes would be, and as those orbs swept across the stunned students, they couldn’t help but feel scared. Its gaze eventually landed on Sunset, upon which it cocked its head to the side, before taking slow, ominous steps towards the young unicorn turned human. ‘What in Tartarus is THAT?! I’ve never seen anything like it in this world, or even in Equestria for that matter! And why is it so focused on me? Can it sense that I am not really a human? WHY IS EVERYTHING OUT TO GET ME TODAY?!’ As Sunset backed away from the creature, she noticed that ten other, smaller shapes where appearing where the first one did. They were smaller, and looked almost like underdeveloped versions of the one stalking towards her, and they were apparently more interested in the other students. Unfortunately, it seemed that Sunset’s would-have-been attackers were too focused on her to notice the danger they were in. ‘Buck my life.’ Sunset thought before yelling to Gilda and co. “RUN!!” And to their credit, not one of them was trampled as the group stampeded out of the gym. Unfortunately, the groups of Shadows, as Sunset couldn’t think of anything better to call them, proceeded to give chase to the fleeing students. Sunset made to follow, but the Neoshadow melted into shadows on the ground and emerged ahead of her. ‘Of course you wouldn't make it easy.’ Sunset thought as she rolled to avoid the Neoshadow’s claws, and coming out of the roll in a sprint for the gym doors. She managed to get through them and begin running down the hallway towards the front of the school, keeping an eye out and ears open for the sounds of pursuit. She then noticed a supply closet that was open slightly, and she quickly ran into it, making sure to leave the door as open as she saw it. “Sunset, what are you doing in here?” asked a voice that sounded familiar to the red-head. Turning around, she saw Snips and Snails had also chosen to hide in the closet. The boys’ eyes were wide with fear, but Sunset could admit they had good reason to be. “I saw the door to the closet was open, your work I presume? Doesn’t matter, just keep quiet or that thing may hear us.” Sunset replied, she then proceeded to take stock of what was in the closet, her eyes finally coming to rest on a familiar yellow and black sledgehammer. She quickly grabbed it, then turned back to Snips and Snails. “You two, stay here, don’t make any noise, and wait until five minutes after I leave to come out, got it?” The two boys nodded their head, and Sunset turned back to the door. She opened it enough that she could peer out into the hall, and after checking that the coast was clear, left the closet, making sure to close the door almost all the way behind her. She then proceeded to make her way to the front entrance of the school, still keeping a wary eye out while rushing as fast as she could, eventually reaching the exit. Upon reaching the doors, Sunset looked outside towards the statue, only to gasp in horror and burst into the courtyard. “NO!” Sunset screamed as she rushed outside. She felt a spark ignite inside her, and a pull in her gut as she tapped into her magic, instinctively raising a semi-circular wall of fire between the fleeing students and the Shadows chasing them, barely preventing the lead Shadow from swiping its claws across the back of the slowest student, which happened to be Gilda after she had helped a student that had fell. Most of the students kept running, but Gilda turned around in surprise upon feeling the heat from the flames. She could only stare in a mix of shock and awe as she saw Sunset staring down the Shadows with what Gilda could only describe as fury. ‘Buck me, buck me, BUCK ME! Why am I playing the hero?! I mean I used magic, so that’s good, but now I have ALL THEIR ATTENTION! THAT’S BAD!’ Sunset thought to herself in absolute terror. It was taking all her willpower not to collapse to her knees, and what little she had was running out fast. Her silent panic was cut short as one of the Shadows lunged for her. Sunset swung the sledgehammer, subconsciously reinforcing it with magic to make the hit stronger and reduce the impact on the weapon. The head of the hammer connected with the Shadow, knocking it to the side, dazed, but not killed. Another of the Shadows swiped at her, and Sunset jumped back. Unfortunately for her, the Shadow managed to slice off the head of the sledgehammer, leaving Sunset with little more than a stick to defend herself. ‘These things aren’t giving me any time to think of a plan!’ A thought that was proven right as not a second later yet another Shadow lunged for her, forcing Sunset to raise the sledgehammer handle in what she knew was a futile attempt to block the creature’s claws. Sunset closed her eyes, waiting for the feeling of the claws scratching her. Except she didn’t feel anything, no scratches, no pain. ‘Wait, why didn’t it hit me? I shouldn’t have been able to stop its attack with just a wooden handle. So… what’s going on?’ Deciding that she wouldn’t get answers with her eyes closed, Sunset opened them to see what had happened. After doing so, she could only stare dumbly at what she was now holding. For gripped in her right hand, instead of the handle, was something she could only describe as a giant, two-toned key.
Chapter 1: Hopeful DuskKingdom Hearts: Path of Two Suns Chapter 1 Hopeful Dusk ‘Ok, I know I used magic to reinforce the sledgehammer for that strike, but I don’t remember casting a transmutation spell!’ Was the first of many thoughts to rush through Sunset’s head as she inspected the simple, yet elegant weapon she now held in her right hand. The hand-grip was a solid gold in color, with a deep red hand-guard not dissimilar in design to a rapier’s. The body of the blade was comprised of two blade-like lengths of metal, with a gap between them. The top length was gold in color, while the bottom length was the same deep red, and both were sharp along the edge facing in the same direction as the hand-guard. What was, in Sunset’s opinion, the most striking part of the weapon was its head, which was in the shape of a two-toned sun reminiscent of her Cutie Mark, gold on one half and red on the other, with four rays coming out of it, two red & two gold. A small piece of gold metal extended from the base of the sun and connected to the red blade, most likely to provide support for the head. A red and gold keychain extended from the base of the handle, and hanging off the end was a miniature version of Sunset’s Cutie Mark. ‘What is this thing?! It looks like a cross between a sword and a giant key! And why did it just appear out of nowhere?! Did I summon it?’ Sunset was cut off from silently asking anymore questions when the weapon gave off a slight glow, followed by Sunset clutching her head with her free hand. As she did, she saw visions of a silhouette holding the exact same sword with one hand, and fighting an invisible foe. The movements they made were almost like a dance, if Sunset had to describe it. She also saw the silhouette’s free hand surrounded in an aura of what could only be magic, and they were casting spell after spell from their hand. Suddenly the glow died, and the silhouette gripped the sword with both hands, before pulling the weapon in two. Instead of the sword being destroyed, Sunset saw two new swords, one in each of the figure’s hands. The figure then proceeded to fight an invisible foe again, once more utilizing a fighting style akin to a dance. Just as suddenly as the visions began, they vanished, leaving Sunset lightly panting from the shock. ‘W-what were those visions? Did the Keyblade show me them? Wait… Keyblade? How do I know that term? It sounds fitting for the weapon though, and it’s not like I have any better options. But why did it show me those visions? Was it trying to teach me how to fight? Not sure, but it also showed the figure using magic, and that is at least something I know how to do.’ Sunset remembered the figure’s free hand being covered in a magical aura, and suddenly she knew exactly how to call that same aura. Sunset concentrated for a moment, searching inside of herself for the spark of magic she felt earlier, and after finding it, she focused on creating the aura around her left hand. Her effort was rewarded when, after a few moments, her hand became encased in a white light. ‘Ok, so the vision did more than just show me how to fight, it gave me the knowledge, and possibly skill, to do so!’ Sunset broke out into a smile, her earlier fear forgotten as she faced down the Shadows, which had been keeping a wary distance from her after the Keyblade appeared. “You want to fight? Then let’s fight!” Sunset shouted at the creatures with a newfound confidence, before adopting a defensive stance with her keyblade. She didn’t have to wait long for one of them to attack, as the one she hit with the sledgehammer earlier lunged towards her. Instead of panicking like before, this time Sunset rolled to the side before unleashing a beam of fire from her left hand at the Shadow, and with the Shadow being in mid-lunge, the beam struck true, incinerating the Shadow. Sunset didn’t have time to feel good about herself, as her roll had put her next to one of the other Shadows. Thinking fast, Sunset spun on her heel, slashing through the creature with the Keyblade and dispersing its darkness. ‘Huh. Guess these guys aren’t that strong. Still, I shouldn’t let my guard down!’ As soon as Sunset was finished thinking this, she realized that two more of the Heartless had jumped at her at the same time. Not having enough time to dodge, Sunset went with her instincts, calling upon a shield spell. The light around her hand grew brighter, before a dome shield of transparent golden energy appeared before her, causing the Heartless to smack into it and fall to the ground stunned, where they just stood in place with their head lolling from side to side, complete with little stars circling around their head. Sunset, not wanting to miss an opportunity, quickly willed her shield into two magic swords, which she used to cut the two Heartless multiple times until they dispersed. Immediately after dismissing the swords however, Sunset felt a bit of fatigue, and also saw that the light around her hand had vanished. She noticed the fatigue wasn’t enough to lessen her fighting skill, but more of the type she remembered occurring from magic exhaustion when she was a filly. ‘Guess I only have a limited amount of magic I can use before exhausting it. Going to have to keep that in mind. Guess now’s as good a time as any to try that two-sword thing from the vision!’ Sunset thought to herself, before placing her left hand on the grip like the silhouette had done. She then proceeded to pull her Keyblade apart, and was a little surprised at how both blades were just as big as the original, somehow. The one in her right hand was still gold, but now those parts that had been red were replaced by an alabaster white, including in her Cutie Mark on the keychain. Sunset could sense a protective aura coming from the blade, almost as if it wished to protect others. Looking closer, Sunset was able to tell that the white parts seemed to glow with a soft, soothing light. Looking over to the keyblade in her left hand, Sunset saw that this one was red, with the gold replaced by a deep black. Sunset could also sense an aura from this Keyblade, only instead of protective, this one felt destructive, as if it wished to inflict pain upon others. Slightly unnerved by this, she was even more unnerved when she noticed the black sections seemed to be sucking the light out of the air near them. ‘Ok, that worked. And given how I’ve been fighting with just one like I had months of training, I think it’s safe to assume those visions gave me the ability to fight with both of these just as well.’ Sunset then returned her attention to the six remaining enemies. ‘Well, guess I can end this quick.’ Any further musings were cut short when all six Shadows rushed her at the same time. Sunset just took a stance with both blades, and met them head on. Gilda could only watch in stunned silence as she saw Sunset fight the creatures with some weird key-shaped sword and magic. Actual magic! Gilda had heard the rumors about Sunset being from a world of magical pastel ponies, but she had just dismissed because it sounded lame. Now? She wasn’t so sure, and not just about the pony rumor. That was just background thoughts, to a single question that just kept asking itself over and over in her head. ‘Why did she save us? Why is she putting her life on the line to save us? To save ME?! Shimmer wouldn’t have stuck her neck out for anyone before the Fall Formal, but she was just acting all nice afterwards, wasn’t she? She never changed, Anon-a-Miss is proof of that!’ While these thoughts were going through Gilda’s head, she had just seen Sunset split her sword into two, and was proceeding to carve up the remaining six creatures in what could only be described as a dance of claws and blades. Eventually, Gilda’s mind turned to a single question that she hadn’t given any thought to before that night. ‘What if Shimmer isn’t Anon-a-miss?’ Gilda felt anger and hate well up inside her. Did she trust Shimmer? Not as far as she could throw her. Did she like Shimmer? Hell no! But if Shimmer wasn’t Anon-a-miss, then whoever was framing her was playing CHS for fools, and succeeding. If there was one thing Gilda hated more than Shimmer, it was being played for a fool. NO ONE played Gilda for a fool. That hate soon morphed into horror as she spotted a figure rise up behind Sunset, claws poised to strike. The words left Gilda’s mouth before she had even realized she was speaking. “Shimmer, behind you!” Sunset panted heavily after dispatching the last of the Shadows, the adrenalin wearing off and physical exhaustion mixing with magical exhaustion. Her muscles felt as if she had used them to compete in a triathlon, not used to the movements she had made while fighting. Sunset also felt that the knowledge and skill she had gained from the visions had left her, except for the magic. She had noticed that after splitting the first Keyblade into two keyblades, her strikes had seemed half as powerful. ‘Makes sense, in a way. I literally pulled it in half to summon them, so they would only be half as stro-’ “Shimmer, behind you!” Sunset didn’t even think about how it was Gilda’s voice shouting that as she spun around, swinging her left keyblade as she turned. In the brief moments before losing consciousness, Sunset registered two things. The first was the sight of her weapon slicing into the Neoshadow, and getting stuck halfway. The second was the Heartless’ claws slashing down her back. And then… darkness. Author's Note Hello! Cliffhangers are evil! In case it wasn't clear, Sunset was able to fight against the Heartless with such ease because her Keyblade, Hopeful Dusk (the Keyblade in the cover art), gave her not just the knowledge of how to fight, but also the skill to do so as well. However, this was a one-time thing, and once the battle ended, so too did Sunset's little boost. Also, the two Keyblades that Hopeful Dusk split into actually have names! The gold and white colored one is called Nobody's Sun, while the red and black one is called Setting Dark. Image: New image drawn by Graglithan the Greater!
Chapter 2: Dive to the VoidKingdom Hearts: Path of Two Suns Chapter 2 Dive to the Void Darkness. That was all Sunset Shimmer felt as she blearily opened her eyes. ‘Where am I? Why do I feel like I’m sinking? Am I…dead? Last thing I remember is-’ Sunset’s eyes shot open as memories of the past half hour flooded into her mind. ‘The text! The ambush! Are the other students ok?! What were those creatures, and that weapon I fought them with?!’ Sunset then looked around, only to see she was floating in a void of black nothing. No, not floating, Sunset could feel a slight downward tug pulling on her, but soon that tug disappeared as her feet touched something solid, yet invisible. “Where am I? Why am I here, and why does this place feel familiar, yet empty?” “The answer to the first and last questions are the same, the second is not as simple.” Sunset didn’t so much hear the words as she felt them in her head. Suddenly, a soft flash of light appeared in the air before Sunset, and when it faded, Sunset saw the same gold and red key from her memories of the fight. “Greetings, my wielder. I feel you have many questions, so ask them before I answer your original three, as the answers to those will no doubt shake you.” “Wielder… You’re the weapon I summoned when I was fighting those things! What, exactly, are you, and how are you talking with me?” “I am known as Hopeful Dusk, and I am a Keyblade. A magical weapon capable of opening and closing any lock, door, or chest. In addition, a Keyblade is the only weapon capable of releasing the hearts stolen by the Heartless. Those ‘things’ you fought were a variety of Heartless, and the weakest at that.” For some reason, when Sunset heard “hearts stolen”, she felt something nagging at the back of her mind, as if those two words were significant to her situation. “As for how I am talking with you, I am unique among Keyblades, as your natural magical ability mixed with my own, and improved the sort-of sentience already present in all Keyblades. This improved sentience allowed me to guide your hand in battle. Unfortunately, that was a one-time thing.” Sunset’s face became contemplative. “Natural magical ability…! You mean my Equestrian Magic? So that’s why the magic I used felt similar to that of back home. But...how did I summon you in the first place? And why do you look like you do?” “I do not know how you summoned me, as it is rare for an individual to awaken their potential to wield a Keyblade without the proper ceremony or certain training. As for my appearance, when a Keyblade wielder first summons their Keyblade, that first Keyblade takes on an appearance representative of the wielder’s heart. More on that later, as it is related to your original questions.” “That’s as good an explanation as any, I guess. So, what are the Heartless? How do they steal hearts, anyways? Isn’t that vital to someone being alive?” “I do not mean that they steal an individual’s physical heart. While the individual whose heart has been stolen does indeed cease to be, at least in their current form, they are not exactly dead. The heart I refer to is closer in concept to one’s soul. The Heartless are creatures of darkness, born from the negative emotions that exist in every heart. Their main purpose is to seek out hearts full of light, and steal them, in the process allowing the heart to be consumed by darkness, thus creating a new Heartless. A Heartless can also be formed by an individual willingly surrendering to the darkness in their heart, and in doing so they transform into a Heartless.” There it was again. That nagging feeling that Sunset was missing something, which strangely only occurred when Hopeful Dusk mentioned hearts, and them being stolen or consumed by darkness. Sunset suddenly felt very, very, cold. “...The last thing I remember is Gilda yelling that something was behind me, and me spinning around while swinging a Keyblade. I also remember the feeling of pain when that last Heartless clawed my back. That Heartless…it stole my heart, didn’t it?” Hopeful Dusk seemed to lose some of its shine, Sunset would have attributed it to someone being sad. “Yes. Unfortunately, after your battle, your heart was indeed stolen, along with a part of me. I believe it is time I answered your original questions. The area we are currently in, is a dream-like place known as the Dive to the Heart, and is usually filled with Stations representative of an individual's heart. That is why this place feels familiar, yet empty. This is a space closely tied to your heart. But this is a good thing.” “Good thing?! How can my heart being stolen be in any way a good thing?!” Sunset absently noted that despite her words, she didn’t feel the anger she thought she should have. “The fact this place yet remains is a good thing, as it means that a part of your heart yet remains. However, that is normally impossible. You appear to be a special case.” “...Oh. Huh.” Sunset’s face once again became contemplative. “How does this relate to your appearance, though? You said your appearance was related to my original three questions, but how?” “Yes, I did say that my appearance is a reflection of your heart. And your heart, Sunset Shimmer, has been in a balance of the light and dark within it for some time. My appearance reflects that balance, as does the appearance of my halves.” At those words, Hopeful Dusk became enveloped in a soft light once more, before the one light separated into two. When those lights faded, the two Keyblades that Sunset had dual wielded were floating before her. The one on Sunset’s left was gold and white, while the one on her right was crimson and black. “The one on your left is called Nobody’s Sun, and is representative of the light in your heart. It’s opposite and equal is Setting Dark, representative of the darkness in your heart. Now, however, the darkness in your heart has been separated from you along with your heart,” at this, Setting Dark started to fade away, “Leaving only the light that once balanced it. And while your heart may no longer remain, the light is still connected to it. Hence why this place still remains.” Sunset should have been shocked, or confused, or any other emotion after this info dump, but for some reason she did not know, she felt none of them. Chalking it up to emotional drain after the past week, Sunset asked the last question on her mind. “So, what now?” “Now, you return to the waking world. There are people there who are concerned for you. Farewell, my wielder.” Suddenly, Sunset felt herself floating upwards. As she floated, she became surrounded in a light that eventually grew blinding, forcing her to shut her eyes. Sunset groggily opened her eyes, blinking until her vision was clear, and she found herself looking up at the ceiling of her apartment. ‘Ugh, my head. Wait...how did I get to my apartment?’ Upon realizing this, Sunset shot up from her bed, looking around the room quickly. She heard the door to her bedroom open, and upon looking towards it, she saw Gilda standing there. “So, you finally woke up, huh?” Gilda then stuck her head back outside the room, saying to someone else “She’s awake!” “Gilda? What are you doing in my apartment? How did we get to my apartment? I don’t remember telling you my address. Like, ever.” Gilda chuckled lightly at that, before saying to Sunset “Snips and Snails told me. Then I drove your unconscious body here with the help of a few… Well, it would just be easier for you to talk with them yourself.” At this, Gilda stepped aside, and three new individuals that Sunset had never seen before entered her bedroom, stopping before her bed. The first was obviously the youngest, around 16 years old. He had spiky, brown hair, and blue eyes. His outfit consisted of a black V-neck shirt with white lining, over which he wore a black jacket with grey pockets and a grey stripe on each sleeve. The hood, sleeves, and jacket itself had a red lining, and six buttons were visible on the front. He had gauntlet-like gloves on his hands, in a similar color scheme to his jacket, with grey circles on the backs, yellow straps around the wrists, and exposed palms. He was wearing black shorts that came down a few inches below his knees, with several grey pockets on the sides. His black and yellow sneakers, while not comically large, were definitely a couple sizes too big for him, from what Sunset could see. Sunset also noticed he wore a silver necklace with a crown on it. The second was, from Sunset’s estimate, about a year older than the first, with silver-ish hair, in a shade that could be mistaken for a shade of blue, that reached down to just above his neck in the back, and eyes that were blue-green. His clothes consisted of a sleeveless, black tank-top with a zipper on the front, over which was a white and yellow vest with a blue stripe separating the two colors. He also wore baggy blue jeans with a black belt, and his shoes were a pair of yellow-laced, white sneakers with gray lining and soles, and three black stripes on the sides. The last was an adult, with shoulder-length, bright red hair styled into slick-backed spikes like something out of an anime, and a widow’s peak at the front, and bright emerald eyes. His outfit consisted of a sleeveless orange jacket, the pockets of which are a darker orange than the rest, with a sleeveless white undershirt, tan baggy pants, and red and white sneakers with black socks. The most notable part of his appearance was the yellow and brown keffiyeh around his neck, which changed patterns from striped to checkered at his neck. The bottom of the keffiyeh was slightly frayed. After Sunset took in their appearances, the one with brown hair spoke up “Hey, you’re Sunset Shimmer, right?” “I am. Who are you three, and how did you get into my apartment? I have the only key.” Sunset responded warily. To her surprise, he grinned widely while putting his hands behind his head in a relaxed pose. “My name is Sora.” “Riku.” Said the blue haired one with a nod of his head. “My name is Lea, but you can call me Axel. Got it memorized?” said anime hair while holding the index finger of his right hand to the side of his head. “I guess so?” Sunset responded, a bit confused at his reason for asking that particular question. ‘Why do I get the feeling that he uses that phrase a lot?’ “Good.” Axel continued, “As for why we are here…” Suddenly the faces of all three grew more serious, “You wouldn’t happen to know a ‘Princess Celestia’, would you?” Author's Note Hello, everyone! Thank you to everyone who Favorited, Tracked, Added to a shelf, Commented on, etc this story! The talk between Sunset and Hopeful Dusk contains a mix of my personal headcanon with actual Kingdom Hearts canon, so if any clarification is needed on that front, feel free to ask! Also, we are introduced to Sunset's co-heroes for this adventure! Sora, Riku, and Axel/Lea (he's my favorite)! Their outfits may seem familiar to the Kingdom Hearts fans, but if they don't, Sora's is based off his Kingdom Hearts 3 outfit, RIku's is based off his Kingdom Heart 2 look, and Axel is in near identical clothes to Lea's from Birth By Sleep, obviously sized for an adult. As for why I picked those three in particular? I have my reasons, and most of those reasons will be made clear in this arc. Anyways, next chapter will reveal exactly how they arrived at Sunset's apartment, as well as both how and why they know of Princess Celestia. Edit: Riku's hair has been edited to better match it's current look in the games.
